Mr-Fusion
Michael Jackson's the only man in existence who can make a rainbow t-shirt and white leather buckles look cool. I defy you to come up with someone else who could pull that off. Don't worry about it; it can't be done. Getting right down to it, CAPTAIN EO is one 15-minute long music video. And it is glorious. Vanity project? Sure, but when you actually see this thing, you know it just had to be done. The guy was at the height of his power - why not have your own Disneyland ride? And after all these years, it plays like a real '80s time capsule: the post-STAR WARS miniatures, the spaceship production design, the crew-members that looked like they were right out of RETURN OF THE JEDI . . . I loved that this all had that time-and-place stamp on it. It is undeniably of the '80s, which I'm sure is likely to turn off some; but for me, it's a real treat. You can find the full-length CAPTAIN EO on YouTube, but that won't ever do the movie justice. Not because it's not in 3D, but because you'd be watching it without the thrumming sound system of the theater. So I have to give Disneyland some respect (watch out for flying pigs) for bringing this back, regardless of their reasoning. It's the one reason I'm kinda bummed I didn't renew my annual pass. And I really like the way they treated this "Tribute" re-opening, showing a making-of video while you're waiting in line and piping the score through the speakers as you walk in. I've gotta say, I love the synth in this movie, and I really wish they'd release the soundtrack. "We Are Here to Change the World" and "Another Part of Me" are both go-to songs when I want to go back to this movie. It's just too bad there's no decent way to hear that slap-bass solo again. 9/10
BA_Harrison
I originally saw Captain EO in 1989 and was spectacularly under-whelmed by its mediocrity even then, the 'film' ostensibly an excuse for some of the biggest egos in the US entertainment business to recklessly blow a shed-load of Disney's cash.Now, with its star Michael Jackson having moon-walked off this mortal coil, this extravagant multi-million dollar musical spectacular has been reinstated as an attraction at Disneyland, giving me another chance to revel in all of its bloated, self-indulgent, 80s 'splendour'. And it's worse than I had remembered.Virtually plot less, loaded with unbelievably poor special effects from ILM (enhanced by really crap 3D), and boasting a particularly dreadful central performance from Jackson, it's hard to believe that this rubbish was written by the creator of Indiana Jones and directed by the man who brought us The Godfather.After a load of badly written space-flavoured nonsense aimed at a pre-teen audience (complete with crap cuddly hand-puppet aliens, ropey robots, and unexciting space-battle action), the whole thing turns into a garish musical nightmare of spandex, metallic make-up, and coloured lights as MJ belts out a forgettable track and struts his stuff in order to teach the evil Supreme Leader (Anjelica Huston) all about love, peace and understanding (a primo piece of Jacko schmaltz).Some novel in-theatre trickery (such as moving seats, wind machines, and lighting effects) adds a touch of fun, but Captain EO is unlikely to impress anyone but the most rabid of Jackson fans.
Tom May
Do not get me wrong: Jackson did produce some excellent short-films in his career, and possessed a strong sense of what would work visually - of what would be unique and strange. I would advise film-goers and pop fans to seek out "Thriller" and "Ghosts" to see his artistry well conveyed on film.This, however, is less a short-film than a piece of corporate propaganda: for Jackson as 'The King of Pop', for Disney, for George Lucas and even for US consumer capitalist culture as a whole. Rock 'n' roll, dance and 'cute' anthropomorphised animals will win the day, inevitably, against the 'evil aliens' as led by Anjelica Huston's Supreme Leader. The scenario is sketchy, and relies on special effects, choreography and artless noise to keep the audience engaged.Jackson is painted as the humane dictator, appealing to the SL's better nature or her 'beautiful side', and then in effect crushing her and her people when they refuse to yield. Her forces become EO's due to a spot of magic; she is eventually transformed into a human, which, surprise surprise makes for the sort of Happy Ending that Ronald Ray-Gun would have adored.This whole venture can be summed up as efficient propaganda for the American way of life and globalisation more broadly.
Darth-Helmet
In the far reach of space, a goofy team of aliens and robots is lead by the magical Captain EO (Michael Jackson) who are on a mission to bring peace to a dark desolated world ruled by an evil sinister alien queen (Angelica Houston including trying to heal it with his powers.Outstanding 3D 18 minute Sci-fi movie from director Francis Ford Coppola and executive producer/writer George Lucas is one of the best former Disney Theme park attractions around. In 1985 the Disney Corporation came up with a concept for a 3D short film and hired Michael Jackson with George Lucas to be part of it yet it took an entire year to film with a release date of September 1986 at both Disney parks and was a tremendous success. I remembered when i was 12 in 1993 when my dad took me to both Disneyland and Universal in California, we saw this movie in 3D and it was amazing with the unique theater experience with the creatures and things coming at you from the screen.This is a fun trip down memory lane.
AD
